J Dey murder case: Chargesheet to be delayed

New Delhi: The Mumbai Crime Branch is likely to name underworld don Chota Rajan and firearms supplier Nain Singh Bisht in the chargesheet of the J Dey Murder case.

The crime branch has been directed by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court to file a chargesheet by November 4. The veteran crime journalist was shot dead in broad daylight by 4 men on motorcycles in June this year.

The crime branch is set to ask for a 45-day extension as investigations are still. The chargesheet is likely to come on Thursday.

The Mumbai Crime Branch is likely to name Chota Rajan and firearms supplier Nain Singh Bisht in the chargesheet.

The Mumbai Crime Branch will plead for extension of the deadline for filing the charge sheet in the case in the MCOCA court on Wednesday, senior officials said.

J Dey, a senior reporter with a tabloid newspaper in Mumbai, was shot dead in broad daylight by four motorcycle-borne assailants in June this year, allegedly at the behest of underworld gangster Chhota Rajan.

The Crime Branch arrested 10 persons and slapped MCOCA on them on July 8. "We can file a charge sheet within 180 days of applying the MCOCA. But after 90 days, we need to take the permission of the court for any extension," a senior Crime Branch official said.

Initially, official sources had confirmed that the charge sheet would be filed in the special MCOCA court by Wednesday, but on Tuesday officials said that they would instead ask for an extension. Asked about the reason, an official said: "Investigation is still under progress. If we file a charge sheet tomorrow (Wednesday), we will anyway have to file a supplementary charge sheet. Now, we will file the entire thing," he said.

Official sources said the Crime Branch would seek 45 more days. "We will submit the reasons for asking for an extension, in a sealed envelope to the court," an official said, refusing to divulge more.

The Crime Branch is likely to name Chhota Rajan and firearms supplier Nain Singh Bisht as wanted accused. "We have a strong case, a case for conviction," a senior official had said a few days ago.

They later arrested Vinod Asrani alias Vinod Chembur, a builder and a bookie who is known to be a close associate of Chhota Rajan; Paulson Joseph, another close aide of the gangster; and Deepak Sisodiya who allegedly supplied the crime weapon.

Interestingly, though Crime Branch officials have claimed that J Dey was shot dead at the behest of Chhota Rajan, they have remained tight-lipped about the motive. "We don't need to establish motive behind the killing. The other evidence is quite strong," an official said.